The 2025-26 NCAAW season has barely started, but one thing is already tremendously clear: the UConn Huskies are aiming to be unstoppable this season, and the early signs indicate they might just pull that off.
Power rankings are fun to look at but not necessarily meant to be set in stone, but it's unlikely that anyone is surprised by the fact that every outlet that's published a list has the Huskies sitting right at the top. The defending national champions are still riding high after taking the crown from Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks, and are coming into this season with one of their most powerful rosters in years.
Sure, other schools made great gains during the offseason: UCLA added Gianna Kneepkens to their roster, and Texas signed the No. 3 overall recruit in the country. UConn will also play without Paige Bueckers for the first time in five years, but that's a reality the team seems more than prepared for.
KK Arnold and Kayleigh Heckel pose a huge threat to the rest of women's collegiate basketball all on their own. Azzi Fudd, who was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four last season, will be joined by fellow sharpshooters Ashlynn Shade and Allie Ziebell. The Huskies also boast their strongest frontcourt in quite some time with Sarah Strong (who many are already touting as the best player in the country) playing alongside Serah Williams, who transferred in from Wisconsin, and Ice Brady and Jana El Alfy. The team is stacked with veterans who know what it takes to win and newcomers who are eager to learn, all under the masterful eye of Geno Auriemma, who will be aiming for the program's 12th national title.
Geno Auriemma says Sarah Strong is better than ever
One of the biggest supporters of Strong is Auriemma himself, who recently told reporters that Strong is already begun what is only her sophomore season stronger than ever — and that's saying something for a player who dropped 46 points and 23 rebounds in two games at the Final Four.
It's safe to say that Strong more than exceeded every expectation placed on her last year, and there's no reason to think she won't do the same this season. She was the first member of the team to get things moving during UConn's recent exhibition game against Boston College (which she finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists), and she's showing no signs of being scared to step up as a leader.
That's the energy UConn will need this season, and from the sound of it, they have it in spades.